Maybe the title is too bold. We’ll probably never find a reform everyone will like. But I found something that I thought sounded great when I read through a bill and it’s summary being proposed by Sen. Coburn of Oklahoma. He also happens to be a doctor which I think gives him a unique view of this issue.
This is something that impacts us as Christians in a lot of ways. After all, as Luther often points out every commandment has both a negative and positive side. It’s not just, “thou shalt not kill”, but we’re also encouraged to “help our neighbor in every physical need”. We also show concern for issues such as abortion and euthanasia, which may or may not be involved in some of the proposals currently floating around. We have concerns about issues like debt which will impact our children. These are important debates. What do you think about this debate- as a Christian? As a citizen?
I think we need to become informed about this issue and I don’t do this often, but I actually sent messages to my senators and congressman. Here’s the basic text I included.
I appreciate what you are doing to bring public attention to the debate concerning the proposals on health care reform. Like you I believe some elements of these are simply misinformed while others are philosophically dangerous.
As much as I appreciate the necessity of putting some negative pressure on some bills, I would heavily encourage you to be part of the positive side of health care reform. Especially, a bill such as that of Sen. Coburn of OK
This is a plan that avoids creating a government or even coop option, but instead focuses on common sense pieces that truly can reign in costs while also keeping the choice with us as individuals. It pushes some great pieces by spurring competition between different health insurance providers, allowing individuals to shop for plans that fit their needs, mandates that all people can be covered, focuses on prevention programs and funding that rewards prevention programs that work, tightens up federal spending by reducing fraud, reduces litigation costs through independent panels that could view many of these cases, brings medical records into the electronic world, gives tax cuts to help all people afford paying for a plan that fits their needs. All of this is done with government supervision rather than being run by the government.
I like it because it maintains free market principles which encourage competition and choice which control costs while also allowing for supervision and government subsidies which inject more grace into the system.
I think this is an option that we can all support. I’m a pastor of a Christian church and today many are turned off from the Christian faith, especially the more conservative denominations because we are viewed as simply being “against everything” rather than for anything.
I feel like the health care debate today is also being shaped this way. Conservatives are against reform. If we continue to be viewed simply as “against” things, we will eventually lose the message battle. It’s what happened to conservatives in the last election cycle. You can be part of transforming that message and helping the public see that conservatives are about a reform that will bring long term fixes rather than simply ignoring the more basic problems.
Thank you for your attention to this issue. If you have already been pushing a positive alternative, I would appreciate hearing what you and your fellow members are championing.
Respectfully,
Daniel Borkenhagen
